Assessment for ASD Programming

1. Assessment for ASD Programming IDEA Partnership

2. The Autism Society The IDEA Partnership Project (at NASDSE) Jointly Developed By: With funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) IDEA Partnership October 2010 2

3. Development TeamThe following role groups worked together to create the documents and tools for the ASD Assessment for Identification presentation: • Behavior Analyst • Educational Diagnosticians • General Education Administrator • Higher Education • Occupational Therapist • Parents • Person on Spectrum • Psychologists • Social Worker • Special Education Administrator • Speech Language Pathologist • Technical Assistance Providers IDEA Partnership

4. Outline for Presentation • Definitions • Guiding principles • Domains and areas of program assessment • Assessment/Programming process • Developing programming based on assessment/data collection • Outcomes of program assessment October 2010 IDEA Partnership 4

5. Definitions of Assessment & Evaluation Assessment is an ongoing, comprehensive process used to determine a student’s strengths and challenges in multiple areas Evaluation may be defined as a specific set of assessments designed to determine eligibility for services under IDEA IDEA Partnership

6. Guiding Principles of Assessment • Each individual has limitless potential • Each student has an individual spectrum of characteristics, strengths and challenges that range from mild to severe across various domains • Assessment tools should be chosen to gather specific information based on the individual’s characteristics, be appropriate across the spectrum, and across the age-range IDEA Partnership

7. Guiding Principles of Assessment • Assessment is comprehensive; it goes beyond academics into various domains, such as sensory, social, behavior, and so forth • Information, observation, interviews, and interpretation by a skilled multidisciplinary team are each important to the assessment process • The essential information in assessment goes beyond the score on a particular assessment measure IDEA Partnership cont

8. Guiding Principles of Assessment It is Important to understand the overlap in assessment and program planning: • Use a variety of tools to create the program • Program to both the strengths and the challenges across environments • Behaviors occurring in multiple settings may be prioritized over those that are limited to a single environment • Determine priority or recommendations – looking ahead to the next environment, values of family, building toward transitions, and importance for successful adult life, etc. IDEA Partnership

9. Let’s Watch This Video on a Girl with ASD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs5L2R2lZAU October 2010 IDEA Partnership 9

10. Let’s Watch This Video on a Boy with ASD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxVtJs-ZtW8 October 2010 IDEA Partnership 10

11. Educational Definition (IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i) “Autism” means a developmental disabilitysignificantly affecting verbal and non-verbalcommunicationand social interactions,generally evident before age 3,that adversely affects a child’seducational performance. IDEA Partnership

12. Educational Definition (IDEA) 34 CFR §300.8(c)(1)(i) Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement inrepetitiveactivities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in routine,and unusual responses to sensoryexperiences. IDEA Partnership

13. Adverse Effect on Educational Performance… • Academic performance • Communication functioning • Social functioning • Pragmatic language • Organizational skills • Group work skills • Problem solving skills • Emotional regulation • Hygiene • Behavior • Attention challenges • Daily living skills/adaptive behavior • Transition IDEA Partnership

14. Evaluation: Eligibility vs. Program Planning IDEA Partnership

15. Areas of Program Assessment • Academic Achievement • Alternate Assessment • Adaptive Behavior Assessment • Developmental Assessment • Functional Behavioral Assessment IDEA Partnership

16. Assessment Areas or Domains • Triad • Social • Restricted patterns of behavior • Communication • Associated characteristics • Sensory • Cognitive • Motor • Emotional vulnerability • Known biological factors IDEA Partnership

17. Progress monitoring October 2010 IDEA Partnership 17

18. IDEA Partnership

19. Choose Assessment Measures • Multiple measurements • Formal and informal • Strengths and challenges IDEA Partnership

20. October 2010 IDEA Partnership 20

21. Assess/Data Collection • Develop a collaborative team including parent/family and student • Review existing data including placement evaluation information • Administer assessments, including interviews and observations • Evaluate student’s performance in a variety of settings and situations IDEA Partnership

22. Translate Assessment Into IEP, Curriculum Objectives & Program Supports 22 October 2010 IDEA Partnership

23. Translate Assessment into Goals and Objectives • Identify student’s strengths, needs, and present levels of performance • Consider values of family, community and culture • Identify expectations of future environments • Consider age and overall learning goals for all students of that age IDEA Partnership

24. Translate Assessment Into IEP and Curriculum Objectives and Program Supports Select Intervention Strategies and Program Supports 24 October 2010 IDEA Partnership

25. Select Intervention Strategies and Program Supports • Designed for each student based on • Learning style • Assessment findings • Data response to previous interventions • Strengths and interests • Age • Identified benchmarks/objectives • Examples include • PECS -- Social Narratives -- 5pt Scale • Touch Math -- Weighted Vests -- Visual Schedules IDEA Partnership

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27. Embed Strategies into Classroom Activities • Consider how interventions/strategies can be utilized throughout the various activities that occur in school • What activity? • When does it occur? • In which setting? • Who else is involved? (student or group) • Subject area IDEA Partnership

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30. Progress monitoring 30 October 2010 IDEA Partnership

31. Progress Monitoring • Describe type of data to collect • Identify days and times to collect data • Create/identify data • Present data • Review data • Identify criteria for program changes http://www.studentprogress.org/ IDEA Partnership

32. Reflections!Questions?Discussion. IDEA Partnership